The Dodgers Year Almost at an End

Let's play Jeopardy. The answer is: Sinking faster than the Titanic, Mel Gibson's career and BP stock prices. The question: What are the Dodgers?

There was so much that went so wrong for the Dodgers in last night's heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco Giants, it's hard to know where to start. But when a costly two-run error is not the worst of your problems, you know that you are in deep trouble. And there is no way of ignoring that fact now, the Dodgers season is very close to being very over.

The Dodgers took an early 3-0 lead thanks to a run-scoring double by Xavier Paul and a two-run home run by the newly clean-shaven Andre Ethier. They picked up two more in the third thanks to dueling singles by the two Blakes (Casey and DeWitt), giving them a comfortable 5-1 lead against Giants ace Tim Lincecum.

It wouldn't be a Dodgers-Giants game without the hostility betwen the two organizations seeping into the game.  The simmering tension between these two rivals started a-bubbling in the fifth inning when the struggling Lincecum brushed back Kemp, then hit him.  Since Dodger pitcher Vicente Padilla had fractured Aaron Rowand's cheekbone in a beaning incident earlier in the year, some thought Lincecum was retaliating.  The home plate umpire warned both benches.

In the top of the sixth, the hero of the first inning Xavier Paul misplayed a hard hit deep fly ball to left and what should have been a run-scoring second out, instead put another man on base with just one out. The Giants capitalized on the error thanks to a double by Pablo Sandoval.

In the bottom of the sixth, Giants reliever Denny Bautista threw way inside to Russell Martin, however, despite the earlier warning, nothing was done. Dodgers bench coach Bob Schafer gesticulated his displeasure in no uncertain terms -- and was promptly ejected.

In the seventh, as Kershaw took to the mound, reliever Hong-Chih Kuo was seen warming up in the bullpen. So when Kershaw hit Giants center-fielder Aaron Rowand in the leg it was hard to pass off as accidental. So the youngster received his first ever major league ejection -- and a number of high-fives from the Dodgers bench. As is the rule, Dodger skipper Joe Torre left along with his pitcher.

The Dodgers took their 5-4 lead into the ninth where All Star closer Jonathan Broxton was poised to give the Dodgers a desperately needed win. Howeve, he quickly got behind, loading the bases with just one out. Pitching coach, and Torre's stand-in, Don Mattingly went to the mound to talk with Broxton. After saying a few words, he walked off the mound and onto the grass. Just then, James Loney decided to ask a question of Mattingly. Mattingly, forgetting for a moment where he was, turned around and came back on the mound to answer the question. I hope it was a really important question like what is the meaning of life or how can I save money on my auto insurance, because that pirouette cost the Dodgers their closer.

Baseball loves its rules. It has some so obscure (I'm looking at you, balk) that the most loyal, lifelong fan has no clue what they mean. But this one is clear. Rule 8:06 prohibits managers or coaches visiting the mound from making a return trip. If they do so, the pitcher must be pulled. Giants manager Bruce Bochy is a big fan of this rule -- he used it against the Dodgers four years ago to get Brad Penny removed after then-Los Angeles manager Grady Little made a quickie two-step around the mound.

Not only did the Giants get rid of the pesky Broxton, but the Dodgers apparently had no choice but to bring in Geoerge Sherrill, someone who does not appear able to grasp what it is that a reliever is supposed to do. To make matters worse, there was miscommunication among the umpires and the home plate umpire did not realize that Sherril should have been give extra time to warm up.  He's shaky enough under the best of circumstances (like when the Dodgers have a ten-run lead), but without enough time to warm up it was not a surprise that he gave up a two-run double to Andres Torres.  The Dodgers went meekly in the bottom of the ninth, and that was that.

"The rules are the rules," Mattingly admitted after the game. "Obviously at that point, it's my responsibility to know not to turn and take a step off. He [home-plate umpire Adrian Johnson] just said, 'No, no, no.' I didn't realize I was off."

He's not the only one who's off. The whole team is in a freefall and the only good sign is that the ground is getting closer. It's going to be painful, but at least it'll be over soon.